When we think of applying minimalism to our lives, we tend to think of shedding some of our possessions or organizing our surroundings for physical order. However, one important thing we often overlook is that we live inside our minds. The mind is where our conscious or unconscious thoughts occur, and our minds have a powerful capacity within us, that luckily, no one but ourselves has access to.
Therefore, we need to keep our thoughts focused, positive, and present, to achieve mental order, to carry out cognitive skills.
Mental Congestion
(Overthinking, unnecessary information overload, distractions, and interruptions, anxiety, never seeming to have enough time...)
Mental clutter is something we all fall victim to easily. Whether by personally overthinking or by absorbing too much of external things around us that have no relevance to our lives.
Without taking control of our minds, it becomes cluttered with no space left to focus on important personal tasks that we need to achieve.
I just could not maintain a flow with my creativity, and simple tasks were difficult and seemed impossible to accomplish. All of this was due to mental congestion, distractions, and interruptions.
To carry out simple cognitive skills was a struggle, and I felt mentally drained from just listening to everyone else thinking aloud. I was plagued with anxiety because I could not seem to limit or keep distractions at bay and felt like I was being overloaded with unimportant information.
Goodbye cluttered mind, hello mental clarity
To tackle those challenges, I identified some of the internal and external contributing factors that influenced my emotions, feelings, and thoughts. Knowing those, helped me to put things into perspective, and I implemented these habits into my daily life.
(1) I evaluated the day-to-day priority activities that I needed to accomplish. Knowing what exactly needs to be done, lets me have a set to-do list, and adjusting variable and unplanned tasks around my priorities became easier. I no longer set myself up for disappointments, worry, and frustration, for not getting things done.
(2) I carry out time management exercises to know exactly how long each task takes uninterrupted. This way I know when I'm on schedule and if I have to take a diversion, then I know how long it takes to get me back on track. I also plug into a task and focus until completed.
(3) I tune out distractions by listening to music. There are mood-enhancing channels with music and sounds to help soothe, and improve focus. One of my favourites is the Tibetan Bowls, which I also listen to while practicing Qi Gong and Yoga. I also like instrumental music without distracting words.
It's great to have a listening ear, but one has to be grounded themselves before taking on others' dramas, as this could lead to mental, emotional, and physical fatigue, all causing mental congestion and inefficiency. Also to be mindful that some persons tend to draw people in on every mishap or challenge instead of applying a little effort to get things under control.
(4)I assign downtime; My downtime has a specific time frame, and it's something that's well thought out, so I can relax and not feel guilty or feel like I am wasting time. My downtime might include observing swaying trees, watching birds fly, giving myself a facial, checking out recipe ideas, or sending a person in my thought a message. Downtime is crucial for our well-being to avoid burnout and mental fatigue. It helps to bring balance to our lives and helps to refresh our minds naturally.
Our minds are trainable, and once we accept that we are responsible and have control over it, then we can find effective ways that work for us to keep it clutter-free.
These are just some minor tweaks that could have a big impact on your life.
Thank you for reading. I would like to hear some of the strategies that work for you. Please feel free to comment below, or share a post to The Minimalist community.
All images were taken by me while cruising the UK Canals.